BBS AUG 18

August 2018 

BANGKOK 

FREE 

COPY 

BUSINESS 

TM 

SUPPLEMENT 

LAND PRICES SOAR IN BANGKOK 

Cover Story Overleaf 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 

South East Asia Business Roundup 

Commerce Ministry Prepares To Open Up For More Foreign Competition 

Thailand Business News 

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BUSINESS SUPPLEMENT 

Cover Story 

LAND PRICES SOAR 

IN BANGKOK 

According to a report released by the property 

consultant firm CBRE, land prices in central 

Bangkok have increased by about 1,000 percent 

in the 30 years since CBRE established an 

office in the Thai capital. 

While this is hardly surprising, the pace of 

price growth appears to have accelerated since 

the turn of the century and this growth has been 

especially noticeable since 2015, in the year after 

the military launched a coup and ousted the 

civilian government. 

baht in the early part of 2015. CBRE claims the 

average price per square wah is now around 

three million baht with no sign of a slowdown. 

CBRE notes that the increase in land prices 

has not been uniform and there has been 

a major change in the development patterns 

in Bangkok as a whole. The property consultant 

noted that while Bangkok grew during the 

1970s and 1980s it did not have a clearly defined 

city centre. It is only since the two key 

the most popular BTS and MRT lines, although 

the land price increases are far from uniform. 

With stricter planning and building regulations 

land prices can vary quite markedly, even 

within the confines of what is now considered 

the Bangkok city centre. CBRE states that land 

prices are now a much greater proportion of 

total development costs than they once were 

and these costs have outstripped construction 

expenses. 

Indeed, a quick look at prices per square 

wah in figures released by CBRE shows a fairly 

flat line between 1988 and 1992 followed 

by modest increases up to the advent of the 

1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Yet by 1998 and 

into 1999 the price per square wah passed the 

500,000 baht mark, showing just how quickly 

Thailand was bouncing back from the nadir of 

the economic crisis. 

The price of a square wah in central Bangkok 

passed the magical million baht mark 

around 2007 and then went past two million 

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public transport developments, the opening of 

the BTS (Skytrain) at the end of 1999 and the 

underground railway (MRT) in 2004, that central 

Bangkok has become more defined. 

CBRE states that by about 2025, Bangkok 

will have around 460 kilometres of mass transit 

lines. By comparison, the London Underground 

is 402 kilometres. 

The popularity of the mass transit routes 

sees around 1.2 million users a day, and this 

will rise as more lines are opened. This has 

meant great increases in land values near to 

Despite the hike in costs, CBRE expects 

central Bangkok will remain the preferred location 

for the higher end hotels, offices, retail 

centres and the like. Of course, the market will 

still be governed by affordability. 

CBRE suggests a lot of older buildings will 

come under the wrecking ball since the value of 

the land upon which they sit is so much higher 

than the building itself. One prominent example 

of this is the Dusit Thani Hotel, where there are 

plans to demolish the existing structure and redevelop 

the site. 

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THAILAND’S 

VAT RATE 

TO REMAIN AT 

7 PERCENT FOR 

ANOTHER YEAR 


The cabinet has given the go-ahead for the 

value added tax (VAT) rate in Thailand to continue 

to be set at 7 per cent for another year, 

until the end of September 2019. 

It has been at 7 per cent since 1997 and 

has been extended at that rate for many years. 

Before that, since its introduction in 1992, it 

was set at 10 percent. It was cut in 1997 in response 

to private sector requests and served 

to cushion the blow of the Asian economic crisis 

which started in 1997 and which hit the Thai 

economy hard in the years following. 

The argument for continuing to keep the 

rate at 7 per cent now was based on the possibility 

of a VAT rate hike impeding the fragile 

economic recovery as well as hurting the farm 

sector. 

Nathporn Chatusripitak, an adviser to the 

PM’s Office Minister was quoted as saying, 

“The Thai economy is now in an uptrend, while 

farm prices are increasing,” adding, “Any VAT 

hikes may possibly derail such trends.” 

In Asia, Thailand’s VAT rate is quite in keeping 

with the general range of VAT rates across 

the region. For example Indonesia and the 

Philippines both have a 10 per cent VAT rate, 

whilst Singapore has a 7 per cent rate, the 

same as Thailand. 

Japan is slightly higher at 8 per cent, whilst 

Taiwan is lower at 5 per cent. Hong Kong and 

Macau stand out as having 0% VAT rates. 

Many of the Middle Eastern countries including 

Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE also 

have 0% VAT rates, or more simply, no VAT at 

all to pay. 

Thailand has competitive rates with the 

USA also. In the USA, VAT rates, or “sales 

tax” rates as they are otherwise known, vary 

by state, but are typically between 4.5 per cent 

and 7 per cent. 

Go west to Europe however, and VAT rates 

are almost bearing towards the point where 

they are simply taking advantage of citizens. 

The UK’s VAT rate has hardly ever gone 

down and was already set high when it was 

introduced fully in 1979 at 15 per cent. It was 

increased in 1991 to 17.5 per cent and then to 

20 per cent where it stands currently. The most 

likely next move is probably another increase 

again! 

Europe’s VAT rates are even higher. 

Straight away, EU law forces all countries to 

ensure VAT is in force at a rate of at least 15 

per cent, but most EU countries have much 

higher rates. Ireland has a 21 per cent VAT 

rate. Several other EU countries have rates of 

23 to 25 per cent. Hungary has the highest rate 

in the world at 27 per cent. 

These sky-high taxes make Thailand’s VAT 

rate look positively low in comparison. 

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COMMERCE MINISTRY 

PREPARES TO OPEN UP 

FOR MORE FOREIGN 

COMPETITION 

While Thailand obviously welcomes 

foreign investment, there 

have long been tight restrictions 

surrounding a number of business 

types which various government’s 

have felt needed protection from 

potential foreign business competition. 

This was largely due to a 

belief that the Thai-run businesses 

in certain sectors were not sufficiently 

robust enough to withstand 

foreign-controlled competition. 

The government places business 

sectors and types into categories 

from what they term List 1 

down to List 3, and the Commerce 

Ministry recently announced plans 

to possibly remove five business 

categories currently in List 3 from 

protection against foreign competition. 

the Lawyers Council, as well as 

relevant government agencies, in 

an effort to assess the long-term 

viability of making the changes to 

List 3. 

According to reports, the majority 

of those canvassed were 

in favour of making the changes. 

This will mean the proposed 

changes will be put before the 

Cabinet and the Commerce Ministry 

expects the final results of their 

proposals will be known around 

September. If the measures are 

passed it will mean foreigners will 

be able to invest in these services 

without requiring a licence from 

the Ministry of Commerce. 

List 1 in the FBA are officially 

designated as ‘businesses not 

permitted for foreigners to operate 

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While no firm decision on 

these changes had been made at 

the time of this publication going to 

press, it is expected that the director-general 

of the Business Development 

Department division of the 

Commerce Ministry will announce 

that foreign businesses will be 

allowed to enter the Thai marketplace 

to compete with local firms 

in accounting, legal, space rental, 

lending, and consulting services. 

The plan is to open these five areas 

up to encourage further trade 

and investment in Thailand. 

In order to allow these five sectors 

to be opened up, the Foreign 

Business Act (FBA) will need to be 

officially amended to remove the 

five from List 3. 

The Commerce Ministry invited 

submissions from the Board 

of Investment (BoI), the Bank of 

Thailand, the Industrial Estate Authority 

of Thailand, the Federation 

of Accounting Professions and 

due to special reasons.’ List 2 activities 

are ‘businesses related to 

national safety or security, or affecting 

arts and culture, 

traditional and folk handicraft, or 

natural resources and environment.’ 

Foreign business entities 

can only engage in these areas 

via approval from the Cabinet. 

List 3 states, ‘businesses in 

which Thai nationals are not yet 

ready to compete with foreigners.’ 

Foreign companies must apply 

for and obtain a foreign business 

licence in order to engage in these 

sectors. 

The FBA limits foreign shareholding 

to 49 percent of a business, 

and this restriction will remain 

in force. 



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5G IS COMING, 

BUT WHAT IS IT? 

Superfast “fifth generation 5G” mobile 

internet could be launched as early 

as next year in some countries, promising 

download speeds 10 to 20 times 

faster that we have now. But what difference 

will it really make? Will we need 

new phones? And will it solve poor coverage 

remote areas? 

What is 5G exactly? 

It’s the next - fifth- generation of mobile 

internet connectivity promising 

much faster data download and upload 

speeds, wider coverage and more stable 

connections. It’s all about making 

better use of the radio spectrum and 

enabling far more devices to access the 

mobile internet at the same time. 

What will it enable us to do? 

Whatever we do now with our smartphones 

will be faster and better/ Consider 

smart glasses featuring augmented 

reality, mobile virtual reality, much 

higher quality video, the internet of 

things making cities smarter. But what’s 

really exciting is all the new services 

that will be built that we can’t yet predict. 

Imagine swarms of drones co-operating 

to carry out search and rescue 

missions, fire assessments and traffic 

monitoring, all communicating wirelessly 

with each other and ground base stations 

over 5G networks. Similarly, many 

think 5G will be crucial for autonomous 

vehicles to communicate with each other 

and read live map and traffic data. 

More prosaically, mobile gamers 

should notice less delay - or latency - 

when pressing a button on a controller 

and seeing the effect on screen. Mobile 

videos should be near instantaneous 

and glitch-free. Video calls should become 

clearer and less jerky. Wearable 

fitness devices could monitor your 

health in real time, alerting doctors as 

soon as any emergency arises. 

How does it work? 

There are a number of new technologies 

likely to be applied - but standards 

haven’t been hammered out yet for all 

5G protocols. Higher-frequency bands 

- 3.5GHz (gigaherz) to 26GHz and beyond 

- have a lot of capacity but their 

lower wavelengths mean their range is 

lower - they’re more easily blocked by 

physical objects. 

Is it very different to 4G? 

Yes, it’s a brand new radio technology, 

but you might not notice vastly higher 

speeds at first because 5G is likely to 

be used by network operators initially 

as a way to boost capacity on existing 

4G (LTE - Long-Term Evolution) networks, 

to ensure a more consistent service 

for customers. The speed you get 

will depend on which spectrum band 

the operator runs the 5G technology on 

and how much your carrier has invested 

in new masts and transmitters. 

“Bits n 

Bytes” 

So how fast could it be? 

The fastest current 4G mobile networks 

offer about 45Mbps (megabits per second) 

on average, although the industry 

is still hopeful of achieving 1Gbps 

(gigabit per second = 1,000Mbps). 

Chipmaker Qualcomm reckons 5G 

could achieve browsing and download 

speeds about 10 to 20 times faster in 

real-world (as opposed to laboratory) 

conditions. 

This is for 5G networks built alongside 

existing 4G LTE networks. Standalone 

5G networks, on the other hand, 

operating within very high frequencies 

(30GHz say) could easily achieve gigbabit-plus 

browsing speeds as standard. 

But these aren’t likely to come in 

until a few years later. 

Why do we need it? 

The world is going mobile and we’re 

consuming more data every year, particularly 

as the popularity of video and 

music streaming increases. Existing 

spectrum bands are becoming congested, 

leading to breakdowns in service, 

particularly when lots of people in the 

same area are trying to access online 

mobile services at the same time. 5G 

is much better at handling thousands of 

STEVE DICKENS 

devices simultaneously, from mobiles 

to equipment sensors, video cameras 

to smart street lights. 

When is it coming? 

Most countries are unlikely to launch 

5G services before 2020, but South 

Korea is aiming to get in there first and 

launch next year, with its three largest 

network operators agreeing to kick off 

at the same time. China is also racing 

to launch services in 2019. 

Will I need a new phone? 

The short answer is, yes, afraid so. 

Will it work in rural areas? 

Lack of signal and low data speeds in 

rural areas is a common complaint in 

many countries. But 5G won’t necessarily 

address this issue as it will operate 

on high-frequency bands - to start 

with at least - that have a lot of capacity 

but cover shorter distances. 5G will primarily 

be an urban service for densely 

populated areas. 

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When Apple first launched the App Store in mid 

July 2008, few of us anticipated how significantly 

apps would impact the daily lives of most 

people. Initially an expensive luxury item, smartphones 

have since become ubiquitous thanks 

to a large range of affordable devices catering 

for all market segments, driving adoption across 

the globe. 

Thailand is no exception, with low-cost 

models even available in your nearest 7-Eleven 

store. In fact Thailand has been a leader in 

mobile adoption, recognised as the the no.1 mobile-first 

market in the world in Google’s 2015 

Consumer Barometer Study. 

Over the past decade the App Store has 

witnessed 170+ billion downloads, totaling over 

$130 billion in global user spend. To celebrate 

this 10-year anniversary, leading mobile agency 

Appsynth has taken a look at Thailand’s top 

apps of all time, and the reasons why these 

apps in particular have become staple features 

on millions of mobile devices across the Kingdom. 

The chart is based on total install volumes 

of non-game apps by Thai publishers, compiled 

by AppAnnie, the global leader in app analytics 

and app market data. 

The list represents a diverse split of industry 

that provides a lens into modern life: from 

the decades-old obsession with TV to the progression 

towards a cashless society, through 

to retail loyalty and local restaurant discovery, 

mobile apps have, and continue to, shape the 

way Thais live. 

The banking industry occupies five places 

on the list, including four of the top six apps. 

While one might expect banks to enjoy high 

download numbers given their large existing 

customer bases, this dominance reflects how 

heavily many Thai banks are investing in digital 

platforms. Most countries do not see banking 

apps dominating install rankings so significantly, 

making this a unique characteristic of the Thai 

market. As a result, 56% of Thais now report using 

mobile banking. 

In many global markets, incumbent banks 

are losing market share to digital-first challenger 

banks and fintech startups seeking to disrupt 

banking and financial service industries. For example 

alternative mobile payment options such 

as preloading money to a digital wallet make it 

possible for consumers to cut out the banking 

system entirely. Thai banks have done well to 

reinforce their positions, providing platforms for 

collaboration rather than competition with promising 

fintech startups in the form of accelerator 

programs, while heavily investing in their own 

mobile channels. 

As a result of this continued investment, 

Kasikornbank and SCB occupy the top 2 spots 

on the list. 

“Building something that’s specifically designed 

for a mobile lifestyle is what really sets 

K PLUS apart in this industry. K PLUS’ strategy 

is aimed at creating new user experiences 

with personalization features where all financial 

needs of customers can be fulfilled on a single 

device, delivering both functional and emotional 

benefits. Making K PLUS relevant to consumers’ 

daily digital lifestyles is KBank’s commitment, 

with more to come in the next year” said Mr 

Patchara Samalapa, President of KASIKORN- 

BANK. 

SCB also sees personalisation as a key element 

to achieving high customer satisfaction, 

with mobile playing a central role in delivering an 

effective omni-channel experience: 

“SCB EASY reshapes the landscape of 

SCB’s retail banking - breaking down channel 

silos and connecting the physical to digital 

10 YEARS 

OF THE APP 

STORE: 

THAILAND’S 

TOP APPS OF 

ALL TIME 

experience. SCB EASY’s success is a testament 

to the bank’s effort to make the customer 

journey personalized and seamless, because 

we realize that customers do not think in terms 

of channels – rather, we let them consume services 

where, when and how they want them” 

said Mr Tana Pothikamjorn, first senior vice 

president, digital banking division at SCB. 

“Alternative banking” is also hot on the heels 

of traditional banks. TrueMoney Wallet (in 5th 

place) enables its users to make in-store purchases, 

scan and pay bills and top up phone 

credit, amongst other things. What’s more, you 

don’t need a bank account to use the app. True- 

Money Wallet can be auto-topped up when connected 

to a bank account, or can be manually 

topped up with cash – enabling digital money 

transactions for the unbanked population. 

In 3rd place sits the only app on the list created 

by an independent developer, Nattapong 

Tonprasert. TV Thailand has unsurprisingly 

been a massive hit with users across the nation. 

The app provides access to Thai drama series, 

cartoons and music videos, enabling Thais to 

have their favorite TV shows at their fingertips, 

anytime, anywhere. 

51% of Thais report watching video on their 

smartphone daily and 81% at least once per 

week, so it’s no surprise that streaming video 

is well represented on the list, with 4 different 

apps featured. The ThaiTV3 app, now branded 

as Mello, is the only one of these directly published 

by a broadcaster. This is sure proof that 

you don’t need to be a big brand, or have a massive 

budget, to create an app that people love. 

From indie developers to tech start-ups, 

Wongnai is one of only two mobile-first startups 

on the list. Founded in 2010, Wongnai has become 

the definitive directory of restaurants in 

Thailand, successfully leveraging mobile technology 

to deliver a user experience which greatly 

exceeded earlier online directories. Of the 

secret to their success, CEO Yod Chinsupakul 

says: 

“The single most important feature of the 

app is the ability to immediately locate the ‘Top 

Nearby Restaurants’. Our users love this feature, 

and applications made this possible.” 

The other mobile-first startup in the top 20 

is Kaidee. Kaidee is Thailand’s biggest second-hand 

online marketplace. Over 50% of 

Kaidee’s 30 million monthly visits are through 

the app, which ranks 8th on our list. With over 12 

million installs reported, Kaidee’s app has been 

key to the company’s rapid growth, as Head 

Coach Tiwa York points out: 

“Since 2013 Kaidee has been developing 

with an app-first mentality. It was an investment 

for us to learn and understand our customers 

needs and be relevant to the audience that was 

using the Internet for the first time through their 

smartphones. This has resulted in app users being 

our most engaged and active customers on 

the platform. The success of Kaidee’s app has 

been driven by focusing on delivering a great 

customer experience for the Thai audience to 

buy and sell quickly and easily”. 

From online marketplaces to air travel, Nok 

Air is the only airline to make the list. The domestic 

low-cost carriers cheap pricing and marketing 

initiatives targeting varying consumer 

segments have made it a preferred choice on 

many routes. Their mobile channel is proving 

more popular than those of other domestic airlines 

and the ease of using the service on the go 

has undoubtedly attributed to its success. 

Last but not least, this list wouldn’t be complete 

without 7-Eleven, the only retailer to make 

the list. The market-leading convenience store 

has massively ramped up its digital presence in 

recent years, including using mobile to digitize 

it’s hugely popular stamp loyalty scheme. The 

7-Eleven TH app gives users access to special 

deals and discounts and the ability to engage 

with 7Rewards loyalty campaigns, enabling the 

app’s millions of users to earn exclusive merchandise 

and rewards. The app’s popularity has 

steadily increased in recent years, now ranking 

amongst Thailand’s top 5 most popular apps 

based on 2018 install numbers. 

Commenting on its study, mobile agency 

Appsynth’s Managing Director Robert Gallagher 

noted: “With 71% of Thais now using a smartphone, 

apps have changed the way Thai people 

shop, interact with businesses and engage 

with their surroundings. Leading businesses are 

treating mobile as a key strategic initiative, as a 

best-in-class app can now be a source of competitive 

advantage when done right”. 




THAILAND BUSINESS NEWS 

THANACHART BANK ANNOUNCES 

INCREASED PROFITS. 

Thanachart Bank announced a 1.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter 

profit increase to 3.82 billion baht. 

It is the 14th consecutive quarter of profit growth 

for the bank. 

There were fears that due to the removal of 

digital transaction fees in April 2018, the company 

would underperform, but net interest income increases 

more than made up for any shortfall. 

Indeed quarterly net interest income rose to 

7.69 billion baht, a 5.49 per cent increase from the 

year before. 

For the first half year, Thanachart Bank earned 

a net profit of 7.6 billion baht, a significant increase 

form the 6.6 billion baht for the same period in the 

previous year. 

CAR SALES EXPECTED TO BE 

STRONG ACCORDING TO THE FTI 

According to the Federation of Thai Industries 

(FTI) the car industry is expected to have a good 

period ahead, although the motorcycle market 

may lag somewhat. 

Spokesman for the FTI’s automotive industry 

club, Surapong Paisitpatanapong, was quoted as 

saying, “In the domestic market, we think launching 

new models can stimulate the market because 

retail prices below 800,000 baht per car are very 

attractive for motorists to buy new cars. But is still 

hard to forecast whether the market this half will 

remain bullish,” adding, “The export outlook has 

performed better than expected as the country’s 

main destination, the Middle East, has resumed 

economic growth on rising oil prices.” 

Initial expectation is for yearly output to top 2.1 

million vehicles, an increase of 100,000 units from 

the previous figure of 2 million. For the first half 

of the year output stood at 1.057 million units, an 

eleven per cent increase on the year before. 

In contrast the local motorcycle market contracted 

slightly, although full year projections are 

expected to show a flat year overall. According 

to a registrations report from the Land Transport 

Department, registrations for new motorcycles in 

the first half stood at 934,747 a reduction of 1.6 

per cent. 

Mr. Surapong was also quoted as saying, “Motorcycle 

buyers are completely different from car 

buyers, and many working-class people cannot 

afford to buy cheap eco-cars, explaining why the 

car market [which attracts another income segment] 

has grown while the motorcycle market has 

dropped,” 

OPPO TARGETS HIGH-END 

SMARTPHONE MARKET. 

Even though the Thai smartphone market is saturated, 

and has been for some time, Oppo is aiming 

high with its sights set on the high-end market. 

Executive vice-president of Thai Oppo Co., 

Chanon Jirayukul, was quoted as saying, “The 

Thai smartphone market in 2018 will continue to 

contract by up to 5% in terms of units,” adding, 

“However, it will grow in value by a single-digit rate 

as users migrate to higher-priced devices.” 

For the first quarter of 2018, Oppo ranked second 

in the local market. The company will launch 

new high-end flagship models with AI enabled 

25mp camera technology and a fast charge feature, 

which will enable phones to be fully charged 

in just half an hour. 

Mr. Chanon was also quoted as saying, “We 

see opportunity in the high-end smartphone market 

that is currently dominated by a few players,” 

adding, “Oppo has strong brand recognition after 

operating for 10 years in the Thai market.” 

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FOREIGN CURRENCY UPDATE 

The dollar has had rather a flat month with 

the DXY Dollar index, (an index that measures 

the US Dollar’s value against a number of other 

currencies), moving between 95.5 and 94.1 and 

settling at 95.37. This consolidation comes after 

several months of a strengthening dollar so it 

could signal a pause before another leg higher 

rather than a reversal. However much depends 

on the outlook for U.S. interest rates and with the 

benchmark 10 year yield falling back below 2.9% 

rates seem to be muted for now. Look out for hints 

from the Federal Reserve for the direction of future 

rate policy. Against the Thai Baht, the U.S. 

Dollar actually advanced fairly significantly from 

32.43 to 33.41 indicating weakness in the Thai 

baht. 

There has been no real respite for those with 

a bullish outlook for the British Pound as it stayed 

range bound at its recent lows and then resumed 

a move even lower again. It just goes to show that 

in the currency markets, enough is never enough. 

The British Pound moved from 1.3150 against 

the U.S. Dollar to 1.3310 before retreating back 

to 1.3200 and then down to 1.3024. The move 

could be attributed to a possible no-deal Brexit 

scenario, as well as senior resignations from the 

UK Government surrounding the ongoing Brexit 

negotiations. Against the Thai Baht the British 

Pound managed to negate its weakness due to 

the softer Thai baht, moving from 43.04 to 43.44. 

The US Dollar vs. Japanese Yen cross rate was 

the big mover rising from 108.80 to 113.05, a 

steep climb. Of course the higher the cross rate, 

the weaker the Yen so it’s actually a steep descent 

for the Japanese currency. This was also against 

a flat dollar indicating that the Yen itself was behind 

the move. It may also be driving the trend 

of other Asian currencies weakening. Against the 

Thai Baht, since it weakened also, the net result 

was a flat month with the currency moving just 

slightly from 0.2934 to 0.2936 

Despite one or two dips below 62 to the U.S. 

Dollar, the Russian Ruble was largely flat against 

its American counterpart. It moved from 63.68 to 

63.36 in trade that was choppy but constrained. 

The Trump-Putin summit did little to affect the value 

of the Russian currency. Against the Thai Baht, 

the Ruble was up from 0.5160 to 0.5500 reflecting 

Thai baht weakness during the period. 

The Euro has suffered a similar fate as the 

British Pound of late, consolidating after a significant 

sell off during the past few months with little 

in the way of a rebound. Attempts to break the 

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certainly persists for now judging by the 

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its lows. Against the Thai Baht, the Euro rose 

from 37.60 to 38.75 due to Thai baht weakness. 

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WHAT IS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? 

You probably have high 

blood pressure (hypertension) 

if your blood pressure readings 

are consistently 140 over 90, or 

higher, over a number of weeks. 

You may also have high 

blood pressure if just one of the 

numbers is higher than it should 

be over a number of weeks. 

If you have high blood pressure, 

this higher pressure puts 

extra strain on your heart and 

blood vessels. Over time, this 

extra strain increases your risk 

of a heart attack or stroke. 

High blood pressure can also 

cause heart and kidney disease, 

and is closely linked to some 

forms of dementia. 

What are the signs and 

symptoms of high blood 

pressure? 

High blood pressure usually 

has no signs or symptoms, 

so the only way to know if you 

have high blood pressure is to 

have yours measured. However, 

a single high reading does not 

necessarily mean you have high 

blood pressure. Many things 

can affect your blood pressure 

throughout the day, so your doctor 

will take a number of blood 

pressure readings to see that it 

stays high over time. Occasionally 

people with very high blood 

pressure say they experience 

headaches, but it is best to visit 

your GP if you are concerned 

about symptoms. 

What causes high blood 

pressure? 

For most people, there may be 

no single cause for their high 

blood pressure. We do not know 

exactly what causes high blood 

pressure. We do know that your 

lifestyle can affect your risk of 

developing it. You are at a higher 

risk if: 

• you eat too much salt 

• you don’t eat enough fruit 

and vegetables 

• you are not active enough 

• you are overweight 

• you drink too much alcohol 

Additional causes of 

high blood pressure 

There are some factors that 

increase your risk of developing 

high blood pressure, which you 

cannot control. These include: 

• Age: as you get older, the 

effects of an unhealthy lifestyle 

can build up and your blood 

pressure can increase. 

• Ethnic origin: people from 

African-Caribbean and South 

Asian communities are at greater 

risk than other people of high 

blood pressure. 

• Family history: you are at 

greater risk if other members of 

your family have, or have had, 

high blood pressure. 

Some people may have high 

blood pressure that is linked 

to another medical condition, 

such as kidney problems. For 

these people treating the medical 

problem may lower their 

blood pressure back to normal. 

Treatment of high blood 

pressure 

There is a wide range of 

high blood pressure medicines. 

You can take more than one 

type of medicine because they 

each lower your blood pressure 

in different ways. 

There are four main types 

of medicine that doctors use to 

treat high blood pressure: 

ACE inhibitors: these medicines 

help to control hormones 

that affect blood pressure. 

Most of these medicines have 

names that end in “pril” 

Angiotensin receptor blockers 

(or ARBs): these also control 

hormones that affect blood 

pressure. Most of these medicines 

have names that end in 

“artan” 

Calcium channel blockers: 

these medicines make the artery 

walls relax, making them 

wider, which lowers blood pressure. 

Most of these medicines 

have names that in “pine” 

Thiazide diuretics: these medicines 

remove unwanted fluid 

from the body, which helps lower 

blood pressure. Most of these 

medicines have names that end 

in “ide”. 

Until recently another type of 

drug, called beta-blockers, were 

often given to people with high 

blood pressure. Beta-blockers 

are not usually given as a first 

choice because the other types 

of blood pressure medicines 

appear to be better at reducing 

your risk of heart disease and 

stroke. However, they may still 

be used if you have other health 

problems 

If you would like any more 

information on high blood pressure 

or if you would like to make 

an appointment to see a cardiologist 

regarding high blood pressure 

then contact 

Phyathai Sriracha Hospital 

heart Center on 

087 – 1000 – 990 

Email:gavin@phyathai.com 

www.phyathai-sriracha.com 

Gavin Waddell 

Phyathai Sriracha Hospital 




JUST THE STATISTICS 

While bar charts, line graphs and 

simple numbers are hardly capable 

of providing the defining answer 

to many economic, social 

and political questions, they are 

certainly a good way of obtaining 

a general overview of any particular 

subject. 

Each month the Business 

Supplement will look into a brace 

of statistical information and provide 

readers with what we consider 

to be the central elements 

of these figures. 

Speeding through the internet 

For those who have been a connected 

part of the internet since 

its humble beginnings more 

than two decades ago, today’s 

download speeds are a thing of 

wonder, especially when performed 

on a mobile device. It’s 

almost impossible to recall the 

days when it could literally take 

minutes for a webpage to load; 

now, if it takes more than a few 

seconds, users get annoyed and 

start thinking about changing 

providers. 

According to statistics presented 

by a company called 

Speedtest.net, the fastest mobile 

download speed in the world 

belongs to Norway, at 62.70 

Megabits per second (Mbps). In 

second and third places are Qatar 

and Iceland respectively. 

Notably, when it comes to 

the fastest fixed-line broadband 

download speed, that title is held 

by none other than Singapore, 

at an amazing 170.99 Mbps. 

The world average is just 45.48 

Mbps. 

As far as download speeds on 

mobiles are concerned, the 

world average is 23.57 Mbps. 

Thailand, sadly, lags well behind 

the average, running at 

13.93 Mbps, ranking it at 98th 

out of 125 countries surveyed by 

Speedtest.net. 

Among its Asean contemporaries, 

Thailand ranks ninth, with 

only Indonesia (10.44 Mbps) 

worse. No surprise that Singapore 

stands at the top of the 

Asean pile at 54.96 Mbps, which 

is also the fourth-fastest in the 

world and then there is a huge 

gap to the Asean second place, 

held, perhaps amazingly, by 

Myanmar at 23.73 Mbps. 

Vietnam (20.32) ranks third, 

Malaysia (18.25) fourth, Cambodia 

(15.51) fifth, Brunei (15.20) 

sixth, while Laos and the Philippines 

(14.05) share equal seventh 

position. 

By way of further comparison, 

the United States only ranks 47th 

in the world at 27.76 Mbps, eight 

places behind its great trade rival 

China (30.45). 

Tiny yes, but a super killer 

There are around 3,000 species 

of mosquito scattered across the 

globe and, according to a brace 

of sources from the World Health 

Organisation (WHO) to the Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention, 

these tiny creatures are 

responsible for up to 830,000 

deaths a year. 

Only we humans comes 

close, killing around 580,000 of 

our fellow homo sapiens over the 

course of each 12 months. 

There are also approximately 

3,000 species of snakes, and 

these are responsible for the 

demise of 60,000 people a year 

while dogs, which number some 

nine million animals, cause 

around 17,400 deaths per annum, 

most via rabies infection. 

Scorpions kill some 3,500 

people each year, crocodiles 

about 1,000, elephants just 100 

and bees a mere 60. 



TOSCANA’S DESSERTS 

All Natural, All Fresh 

As might be expected, the dessert menu in Toscana is fairly 

extensive and runs the gamut of dishes you would expect to 

find in any top quality Italian restaurant. 

There are nine or ten flavours of ice 

cream, all made from both cow and 

goat’s milk, alongside sorbets, profiteroles, 

tiramisu, mousses, puddings, 

sponges, and the like, making up a long 

list of dishes. 

It will be no surprise that all the desserts 

are made in-house from products 

sourced primarily from the Toscana-Moom 

Talay natural animal farm 

which they run out at Huay Yai. 

........................................................................ 

Although the dessert menu runs 

deep, desserts are not considered as 

a key feature in the Toscana culinary 

landscape. As mine host Luca says, “I 

don’t mind if people want to just come 

to Toscana and have a cake and a coffee 

– or indeed a hamburger, Panini or 

fosaccia - and maybe watch the sunset, 

that’s fine.” Luca hangs his hat on 

the breadth and quality of his starters 

and main menu dishes, but also understands 

that there will be some customers 

who just like the idea of having 

something light, say between lunch and 

dinner, and can relax and enjoy the 

passing parade on Beach Road. 

The restaurant has its own pasteurizing 

machine and there is no premixed 

powder or preservatives used in 

their desserts. This is in keeping with 

the general theme of Toscana and 

Moom Talay of producing food across 

the menu spectrum which is as natural 

and fresh as possible. 

Trattoria Pizzeria Toscana 

Moom Talay Thai Restaurant

After 29 years of “making ice creams 

and desserts I can tell you the most popular 

are tiramisu and profiteroles,” say 

Luca. He understands that part of the 

reason for the popularity of both these 

dishes is that they are usually familiar 

to diners, while desserts with more exotic-sounding 

names such as Panna Cotta, 

Cream Catalana, Fragola and Amarena 

are not so well known. 

The latter pair (Fragola and Amarena) 

are part of a selection of desserts 

classified as Semifreddi. These dishes 

are a meringue-based cold dish which 

consist simply of sugar, milk and cream, 

with the flavor (chocolate,strawberry, 

etc.) blended into the cream. Simple yet 

tasty and filling. 

............................................. 

As an accompaniment 

to a dessert dish, 

Toscana also has around 

35 different varieties of 

grappa with an alcohol 

content of anywhere from 38 to 43 percent. 

They are blended as smooth as 

possible so the alcohol doesn’t burn 

your throat. 

........................................................................ 

The restaurant serves liqueurs, including 

Irish Coffee (made of course 

with Jameson Irish Whiskey). 

........................................................................ 

In keeping with the aim of running a 

restaurant which is as friendly and relaxed 

as possible, Luca says, “some 

customers, when they’ve finished their 

main meal, might like to go outside and 

have a cigarette or a cigar. We have no 

problem with that and they are welcome 

to have their coffee or dessert served 

outside where they can sit down and enjoy 

the evening.” 

Trattoria Pizzeria 

TOSCANA Restaurant 

and 

the Moom Talay Thai 

Restaurant are located 

on Beach Road, Pattaya 

(between Soi 6 and Soi 7) 

Telephone: 038 362 370 

Fax: 038 362 371; 

Email: tirreno@ptty2.loxinfo.co.th 

For reservations: 081 861 3446


SUDOKU 

These Sudoku puzzles are pitched at a middle level: not too easy, 

and not too frustratingly hard, for the average person. 

We will publish the solutions in next month’s issue. 

CROSSWORD 

Last months sudoku answers 

TRIVIA Quiz 

ACROSS 

1/ Amphibians (5) 

4/The start of a constrictor (3) 

6/Essential (9) 

7/Reptile (5) 

8/ Male alley cat (3) 

10/ Evade, avoid (5) 

12/Impertinence (9) 

DOWN 

1/ Eyeteeth (5) 

2/ Grove (7) 

3/ Hung (9) 

4/ Brag (4) 

5/Unfathomable (7) 

9/Per square inch init. (3) 

11/ Takes an age (3) 

1. In what century was Marco Polo most active as a traveller? 

2. The 1884 conference that established zero degrees latitude 

was held in what city? 

3. Which Middle Eastern capital city lies on the Barada River? 

4. What is the smallest independent country by area in South 

America? 

5. The east coast of Nicaragua is called the what ‘Coast’? 

1 2 

3 

4 

5 

6. What is, as of 2013, the largest country by area in Africa? 

7. Lebanon gained independence from which country in 1943? 

6 

8. Lake Sevan is the largest lake in which mountainous region 

of Europe? 

9. The Commander islands are the westernmost islands of 

which Pacific archipelago? 

10. In 1911 the capital of India moved to Delhi from which city? 

7 8 

9 

10 11 

6. Algeria 7. France (Vichy) 8. Caucasus 9. Aleutian Islands 10. Calcutta 

1. Thirteenth century (1200s) 2. Washington DC 3. Damascus 4. Suriname 5. Mosquito 

Answers 

12 

CROSSWORD ANSWERS 

ACROSS 1/Frogs 4/Boa 6/Necessary 7/Snake 8/Tom 10/Dodge 12/Impudence 

DOWN 1/Fangs 2/Orchard 3/Suspended 4/Boast 5/Abysmal 9/psi 11/Eon 

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*The Pattaya & Bangkok Business Supplements are published by High Tower Co., Ltd. 




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SOUTHEAST ASIAN BUSINESS ROUNDUP 

Singapore 

Singapore’s Competition and Consumer 

Commission (CCCS) announced in 

early July that the Grab-Uber merger had 

substantially lessened competition, and proposed 

to impose financial penalties on both 

the ride-hailing transport firms to restore 

market contestability. The merger, which was 

announced in late March, saw Uber taking a 

27.6 percent stake in Grab. The commission 

immediately commenced an investigation into 

the deal under the Competition Act. “CCCS 

has concluded its investigation after obtaining 

evidence from the parties and third parties. 

CCCS has provisionally found that the transaction 

has removed competition between 

Grab and Uber, which were each other’s closest 

competitor. The merged entity is likely 

to be able to increase prices and has in fact 

done so since the completion of the transaction,” 

said CCCS. 

The CCCS has also proposed to impose financial 

penalties upon Grab and Uber, as 

“CCCS has found that they have carried the 

transaction into effect despite having anticipated 

potential competition concerns…” 

Vietnam 

The Japanese company Taisho Pharmaceutical 

Holdings has proposed to purchase 

an additional 7.06 percent stake in 

Vietnam-listed DHG Pharma JSC, lifting its 

ownership to 32 percent. Taisho is currently a 

major shareholder of DHG with over 32.6 million 

shares, equivalent to 24.94 percent of the 

company’s charter capital. Taisho, which has 

been present in Vietnam through an energy 

drink manufacturing plant, is still cementing 

its position as DHG Pharma’s second-largest 

investor after the State Capital Investment 

Corporation (SCIC) with a 43.3 percent interest. 

Other shareholders include Vietnam-focused 

asset management firms, VinaCapital 

and Dragon Capital, Templeton Frontier Markets 

Fund and Templeton Emerging Markets 

Small Cap Fund. 

Myanmar 

Among business leaders in Myanmar, 

would-be investment from the U.S. and Europe 

is known by the wry acronym NATO: ‘No 

Action, Talk Only,’ Sean Turnell, special economic 

consultant to Myanmar’s leader Aung 

San Suu Kyi, said in a recent interview. As 

Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economy 

began its transition from military rule with 

the swearing in of the first popularly-elected 

government in March 2016, western investors 

adopted a wait-and-see approach. “The 

thing about Western investment is not that it 

has stopped flowing, the truth is that it never 

came,” Turnell said. 

Myanmar has attracted just over US$30 billion 

in foreign direct investment since the 2014-15 

financial year, with Singapore topping the list 

of foreign investors in the country with $14.5 

billion, followed by China and Hong Kong with 

$7.1 billion, and $2.6 billion from countries inside 

the European Union, according to data 

supplied by Myanmar’s Directorate of Investment 

and Company Administration. 

Despite the investment shortfall from the 

U.S. and Europe, strong capital inflows from 

Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore 

helped make Myanmar one of the strongest 

performing economies in Southeast Asia, 

notching up gross domestic product of 6.4 

percent last year and an expected 6.8 percent 

in the current financial year. 

After Myanmar confirmed that new laws allowing 

foreigners to invest up to 35 percent 

in local companies would come into effect on 

August 1, there is an expectation that more 

foreign investment will follow. 

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LAND WINDFALL 

TAX APPROVED 

FOR PROPERTIES 

NEAR TO UPCOMING 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

PROJECTS 


In order to help to pay for the 

large amount of investment required 

for infrastructure projects, 

the cabinet has decided to pass 

a draft bill regarding the land 

windfall tax. The aim is to capture 

some of the inflated property 

price movements that occur 

when new government infrastructure 

projects are announced and 

are under construction. 

Very large land price increases 

were evident when the original 

sky train and MRT projects were 

constructed, with condo developers 

and speculators enjoying 

swift profits on parcels of land before 

even beginning construction 

of condominiums and the like. 

Shop houses along BTS routes 

also rose in price. Some might 

say that this is fair compensation 

for the years of disturbance that 

occurs during the construction 

phase, however the government 

is looking to balance the budgets 

on some of the government infrastructure 

projects and at the 

same time create fairness. 

million baht and will be charged 

every time transfer takes place 

during the construction period of 

the relevant piece of infrastructure. 

Once the construction is 

complete there will only be one 

final tax levy, and the land windfall 

tax will not affect any property 

transfer thereafter. 

For high-speed trains, double-track 

routes and expressways, 

the tax is expected to 

encompass properties that are 

within a 5 km radius of station or 

an on-off ramp. 

The exact distance to an infrastructure 

project is expected 

to be announced by a committee 

set up under the permanent secretary 

of the Finanace Ministry. 

It is clear that some rail projects 

have stations that are much 

closer together than others. For 

example, high speed trains will 

likely only have a few stations 

over a one hundred kilometer 

stretch, whilst a new MRT line will 

typically have stations every 1.5 

km, or at an even lesser distance 

from each other. 

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Infrastructure projects include 

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railways, as well as dual track 

train projects and mass transit 

systems. With a number of new 

projects taking shape across 

Bangkok and also along the eastern 

seaboard, there is definitely 

scope for collections to bolster 

the governments coffers to help 

offset the costs of the investment 

in those projects. 

The tax will be levied for every 

land or condo transfer over 50 

In addition, expressways in 

the city often have exits every one 

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see exits and entrances spread 

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Land price valuations from the 

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TRUE DIGITAL PARK . . 

THAILAND’S FIRST GLOBAL 

DESTINATION FOR A FULLY 

DIGITAL LIFESTYLE 

Many throughout the region heard of True Digital 

Park after True Group officially announced the development 

of this mega-project, the largest digital 

innovation hub in Southeast Asia. The project is now 

80% complete, and many global partners, including 

the world’s largest tech companies, entrepreneurs 

and startups will make use of this pioneering digital 

hub to establish their offices and digital innovation 

spaces. For example, Google recently announced 

they will be setting up the “Academy Bangkok – A 

Google Space” at True Digital Park which is set to 

open later this year. 

An increasing number of people need a suitable 

space that meets their demanding lifestyles in the 

digital era, both in terms of work and daily life. Mr. 

Thanasorn Jaidee, President of True Digital Park, 

said “True Digital Park is located in an easily accessible 

location at Sukhumvit 101, adjacent to Punnawithi 

BTS station. The park will become the largest 

digital innovation hub in Southeast Asia and a global 

destination for digital lifestyles. It stands out with 

three key elements: Technology, People and Space, 

which lie at the heart of creating an entire ecosystem 

of start-ups to drive innovation and creativity in 

Thailand and Southeast Asia. Our core concept is to 

provide connectivity to the ecosystem and a space 

that fully supports the lifestyles of people in digital 

era. With construction now over 80% complete, we 

can confirm our readiness for an opening in November 

2018.” 

Here’s a sneak peek of the highlights of True Digital 

Park, where the concept of “Digital Lifestyle-Connecting 

Possibilities” will soon come to life. 

True Digital Park aims to build an all-in-one ecosystem 

and community which includes three elements 

to fulfill the digital lifestyles needs and ability 

to live smart. The first element is Technology: This 

project designed and installed an advanced telecommunications 

system with the best high-speed internet 

in the country that can be connected from all areas 

in the park. Smart IoT Solutions are available to preview 

and assign work via smartphones supporting 

real mobility in terms of work and daily life together 

with Smart Parking which shows vacant spots and 

parking availability/capacity through an application; 

Smart Lighting which monitors energy consumption 

providing improved efficiency; and a Smart Meeting 

Room that allows you to easily book rooms in advance. 

In addition, robots are used to provide additional 

conveniences such as an internal delivery 

service. 

The second element is People: True Digital Park 

fulfills digital lifestyles in every dimension for those 

who use the park for work, from start-ups, entrepreneurs, 

investors, academics, incubators, and state 

agencies. Everyone can connect with each other. 

Collaboration Areas are available to support digital 

innovations and to exchange ideas. Everyone can 

take part by supporting and inspiring one another 

when they visit True Digital Park. 

The last element is Space: True Digital Park understands 

both the nature and the needs of start-ups 

and the significance of collaboration. The Park was 

therefore designed as an open space that offers connections 

for people to meet up and exchange ideas. 

Every zone and level has a Collaboration Area which 

serve as co-working spaces, such as meeting and 

leisure rooms, and spaces to organize events and 

workshops. 

True Digital Park is a fully-equipped, state-of-theart 

facility that perfectly supports all kinds of work and 

lifestyles in the digital era. The zones in True Digital 

Park include: 

The Campus Lobby. Located on level 6, this hospitality 

community zone is served by a central counter 

that provides information and assistance, and 

overlooks the spiral staircase which links to level 5 

and level 7. 

The Collaboration Area. This open space offers 

a cozy atmosphere where the public can linger before 

entering the private offices. People can work on 

their laptops or even have informal meetings. Wi-Fi 

is available, and the area by the stairwell can be converted 

into a space for Town Halls, with a capacity of 

70-80 people. 

The Pantry Area. This central zone is a place for 

recreational activities to take a break or just chill out 

with coffee machines in every pantry area and even 

baristas on some levels to get you your caffeine fix. 

The Private Meeting room. Perfect for official 

meetings and to hash out ideas, the rooms can easily 

be booked via the application. 

The Campus Space. This unique space serves 

as an extension to start-ups providing the necessary 

support as they grow and eventually require their own 

private office instead of a co-working space, while 

still being able to use all of the central area facilities. 

The two-level Auditorium can facilitate large 

events and gatherings offering 500-seat capacity 

along with an unbeatable lighting and audio-visual 

system. 

Hillside Town/24-Hour Street. This zone offers 

popular shops, restaurants and a full array of services. 

There are also 24-hour shops providing convenience 

to customers around the clock. 

True Digital Park will satisfy everyday digital lifestyles 

by providing an entirely new experience in late 

2018. Follow news and updates on activities and 

networking event for start-ups and entrepreneurs at 

www.facebook.com/TrueDigitalPark/ 

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